Duo hopes to spread comedy

Feb. 23, 2001

By ZACK WIMPEE

Reporter

Two students are trying to form a new kind of comedy group at Baylor. The Guerrilla Troupe, named because of their 'in your face, surprise attack' approach to comedy, is lead by John Wolf, a Grand Rapids, Mich., junior, and Stacey Allen, a Germantown, Tenn., junior.

'When I got to Baylor, I figured there would be something like this, but there wasn't,' Wolf said. 'So this is something I have wanted to do since I was a freshman. I am now a junior, so I need to get going.'

'We do skits in Student Foundation and it has been great,' Allen said.

'But we are looking for a bigger audience and more participants to really make it a success.'

Auditions will be held by the group at 5 p.m. on March 1 in Bennett Auditorium to add some more people to the Guerrilla Troupe.

'The auditions are going to be in workshop format,' Wolf said. 'We want to do some training, get to know the people, and get some feedback.'

The group is making the auditions a two-step process.

'In the second audition, we will actually put people up on stage together,' Wolf said. 'It will be situational comedy like Whose Line is it Anyway. It isn't going to be one person on the stage by themselves. We will make up a crazy scene, and see who can come up with the funniest stuff on the spot.'

Guerrilla Troupe said it wants to perform publicly around Waco, and will be available for any organization or university function.

The group wants to provide an outlet for students interested in this type of comedy. Neither Wolf nor Allen is a theater major, and both say that having theater as a major is not important.

'You don't have to have any experience,' Allen said. 'We just want people who have an interest and think they would be good at entertaining.'

'Guerrilla Troupe is open for anyone, and we encourage everyone to come and try out,' Wolf said. 'We want to give Segues (the group in charge of comedy for' All-University Sing') a run for their money.'